Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

For his latest release, Huddersfield-based songwriter Noel Donaldson has once again teamed up with a number of different vocalists to present a batch of faith-orientated songs he has written over the years. Proceedings kick off in promising fashion with the upbeat and evangelical "Maybe Another Day" and "King Of My Heart" - sung by Paul Jackson and Simon Roberts respectively - and both tracks possess a nice '70s retro feel that provides an alternative to much of the modern worship fare that's out there today. Before long though, some thin and occasionally out of tune vocal performances from other contributors mar the remainder of the release and, along with Donaldson's overuse of out-dated synth sounds and the plodding nature of many of his songs, this album feels underdeveloped, under-produced and lacklustre despite the writer's obvious heart for Jesus. Donaldson is undoubtedly a competent songwriter and instrumentalist - the Moog-infested "We Give Thanks For Your Mercy" being particularly enjoyable - but unfortunately the majority of this album fails to live up to the promise shown in its opening two tracks.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.